Written Answers Thursday 4 October 2007

Scottish Executive

Apprenticeships

Charlie Gordon (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with the proportion of women and minority ethnic people entering apprenticeships in construction and engineering.

Fiona Hyslop: No. I recognise that there is a very low take-up from women and minority ethnic groups in construction and engineering apprenticeships and we need to do more to challenge and change attitudes to stereotypical career choices.

  That is why our Skills Strategy for Scotland has the promotion of equality of opportunity and the elimination of discrimination at its core. As well as promoting equal access we need to recognise people’s different needs and situations and remove the barriers that limit what people can do. We will be challenging our delivery agencies to do just that to ensure that each individual has the opportunity to reach their potential.

Children

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that it delivers on its responsibilities under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN World Programme for Human Rights Education to teach children about the human rights of themselves and others.

Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government supports the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the World Programme and is committed to giving children knowledge and understanding of their rights and those of others.

  Citizenship, including the rights and responsibilities of individuals and communities is a key part of the early years and school curriculum.

  All teachers in Scotland are also required to show knowledge and understanding of human rights and children’s rights. Both are included in the Standard for Initial Teacher Education and the Standard for Full Registration.

  We are currently considering further measures to promote children’s rights in schools and local communities.

Culture

Mr Frank McAveety (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of Glasgow’s cultural performance, whether it will consider providing additional metropolitan funding for the city to ensure that it has sufficient resources to provide the best culture and entertainment in the longer term.

Linda Fabiani: Funding for culture is currently being considered as part of Strategic Spending Review 2007. We will announce the outcome in late autumn 2007 when spending plans will be set for the next three years.

Education

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure continuation of West Dunbartonshire Council’s Early Intervention Initiative and what plans it has to roll out the programme across Scotland.

Adam Ingram: I am encouraged by the progress that West Dunbartonshire Council has made in addressing illiteracy through early intervention. I know through the work Learning and Teaching Scotland have undertaken that there is a lot of good practice out there which they are helping to disseminate. It is for individual schools and education authorities to decide what approach is best for them.

  Curriculum for Excellence identifies literacy skills as a key theme across the curriculum with all teachers having a role in promoting language and literacy development.

Education

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to establish a Scotland-wide training and qualifications framework to ensure a path of career development and progression for classroom assistants.

Maureen Watt: The question raises two issues which are contained in the recent Equal Opportunity Commission’s (EOC) report into the role of classroom assistants.

  The Scottish Government has previously published guidance for local authorities on the implementation of classroom assistants in schools and training materials for teachers working with classroom assistants and has supported the development of the Professional Development Award (PDA), National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) at levels two and three and the Modern Apprenticeship Programme (MAP) for classroom assistants.

  We understand that the EOC and COSLA intend forming a steering group to take forward discussion of the issues raised in the EOC report. We look forward to participating fully in the work of that group.

  The EOC report also covers career development and progression for classroom assistants. These important issues are ones for local authorities to take forward in their capacity as employers.

Education

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to support the development of a new support for learning higher national certificate to develop and promote the role and progression of classroom assistants.

Maureen Watt: The development of a Support for Learning national qualification is one of the recommendations in the Equal Opportunities Commission’s (EOC) report into the role of classroom assistants. The Scottish Government has previously supported the development of the Professional Development Award (PDA), National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) at levels two and three and the Modern Apprenticeship Programme (MAP) for Classroom Assistants.

  We understand that the EOC and COSLA intend forming a steering group to take forward discussion of the issues raised in the EOC report. We look forward to participating fully in the work of that group.

Environment

John Lamont (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how local authorities are required to control the burning of waste such as horse manure.

Richard Lochhead: In the main, the burning or other disposal of waste is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency rather than local councils. A range of controls are available, depending on circumstances such as the scale of the activity and the exact nature of the waste being burned.

  Local authorities are, however, responsible for administering the law of statutory nuisance, established by Part III of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Where burning horse manure causes smoke to be emitted, or a smell to arise, so as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance, it would be the responsibility of the local authority to take action. In such situations local authorities could issue notices prohibiting this activity and there are a range of penalties for non compliance.

Equal Opportunities

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the findings of the Equal Opportunities Commission’s report, Valuable Assets  , how it plans to tackle the undervaluing of the work of classroom assistants in schools, particularly in respect of low pay.

Maureen Watt: Scottish ministers hold all school support staff in the highest regard and value the important contribution they make towards the benefit of all children in schools. However, the pay and conditions of service of classroom assistants are matters for local authorities to consider as employers.

Equal Opportunities

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to assess the evidence and recommendations of the Equal Opportunities Commission’s (EOC) report, Valuable Assets  , and whether a national action group involving all stakeholders will be established.

Maureen Watt: The evidence and recommendations contained in the Equal Opportunities Commission’s Valuable Assets  report will be of particular interest to local authorities as employers and the group being facilitated by the EOC to take forward the various recommendations in its report. The Scottish Government look forward to participating fully in the work of that group.

Fisheries

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether plans produced by inshore fisheries groups are subject to strategic environmental assessment.

Richard Lochhead: We do not currently consider the localised management plans which Inshore Fisheries Groups will produce to be "qualifying plans or programmes" in terms of section 5 of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005. However, we intend to encourage the Inshore Fisheries Groups to prepare the plans in line with the principles of strategic environmental assessment. Statutory and non-statutory environmental organisations will be represented on the advisory groups of the Inshore Fisheries Groups.

Freedom of Information

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote greater public involvement in the Scottish Freedom of Information Forum and whether it will consider providing more information on the forum’s meetings.

Bruce Crawford: Information on the first meeting of the Scottish Public Information Forum is published on the Scottish Government’s website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/FOI/18022 .

  It is a matter for the Forum to consider any plans for greater public involvement.

Health

Iain Gray (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to develop the role of public partnership forums as a mechanism for public engagement in community health partnerships.

Nicola Sturgeon: Statutory guidance issued to NHS boards in October 2004 required that Public Partnership Forums (PPFs) form a key component of all Community Health Partnership (CHP) Schemes of Establishment, building on existing networks and making best use of local systems.

  This guidance embedded a duty to engage local service users and support public involvement as well as ensuring PPF representation on every CHP committee or sub committee.

  The Scottish Health Council provided initial "start up" financial support to NHS boards and their CHPs to establish PPFs, and continues to provide support to all those involved in PPFs, particularly in their training and development.

  The council has commissioned a review of the effectiveness of PPFs which will report later this year. At this time, consideration will be given to what further support and guidance might be required from the Scottish Government.

Languages

Gil Paterson (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what strategy is in place to promote the use of the Scots language.

Linda Fabiani: As the member for the West of Scotland will recall, in our pre-election manifesto the Scottish Government gave commitments to promote an increased awareness of Scots and its literature, and to actively encourage the use of Scots in education, broadcasting and the arts.

  I am currently in discussion with the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning and the Minister for Schools and Skills about how we may take forward these commitments, but as I said recently at a meeting of the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee, I am open to suggestions from individual parliamentarians, committees or cross-party groups on how we may give practical application to our commitments.

  It may interest the member for West Scotland to know that my colleague Maureen Watt has accepted an invitation to attend a meeting of the Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group on Scots.

Planning

Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many good neighbour agreements have been entered into by developers, councils and communities since the Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006 came into force and how compliance with this provision is being monitored.

Stewart Stevenson: At present, no Good Neighbour Agreements have been entered into in Scotland. This is because the relevant provisions of the Planning Etc (Scotland) Act are not yet in force.

Pre-School Education

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers require to be recruited in order to meet the SNP manifesto pledge to deliver access to a fully qualified nursery teacher for every nursery age child, starting with children in deprived communities.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it estimates will be required in each year of the next spending review to meet the SNP manifesto pledge to deliver access to a fully qualified nursery teacher for every nursery age child, starting with children in deprived communities.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers require to be recruited in order to deliver access to a fully qualified nursery teacher for every nursery age child.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimates the cost would be to provide resources for every nursery to employ a qualified teacher.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurseries operate without the services of a qualified teacher, broken down by local authority area.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of nurseries operate without the services of a qualified teacher, broken down by local authority area.

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers would be required to deliver access to a fully qualified nursery teacher for every nursery age child.

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers would be required to deliver a fully qualified nursery teacher in every class for every nursery age child.

Adam Ingram: The latest statistics show that 55% of pre-school education centres have at least one General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) registered member of staff. The figures vary across the country and between types of provider. On purely numerical grounds, approximately 1,240 centres do not employ a teacher. However, children in some of these centres may have access to a teacher by other means such as a peripatetic teacher visiting on a regular basis or some other flexible teaching support service. We know, for example, that some teachers worked in more than one centre but we do not have information about all of the centres they worked in.

  It is vital that the £9 million additional funding provided for 2007-08 is used to deliver the advantages that teachers in pre-school and smaller class sizes in P1 to P3 will bring, with initial progress focussing on the more deprived areas, where research tells us the greatest benefits are to be found. Some local authorities are already using the funding to employ additional primary teachers, thereby releasing experienced teachers to work in nurseries.

  The Scottish Government has already started discussion on a new deal for local government based on outcome agreements, including the implication of our policy of providing access to a teacher for all pre-school children and reducing class sizes in P1 to P3.

Schools

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional funding it intends to provide for new school buildings.

Maureen Watt: We have increased the Schools Fund capital grant by £55 million to £161 million in the current financial year. Future funding allocations for investment in the school estate have yet to be announced.

Student Finance

Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will continue to provide funding for disabled students’ allowances.

Fiona Hyslop: Yes the Scottish Government will continue to provide funding for disabled students’ allowance.